Preparing in China gives your supplier, warehouse and shipping team a shared point to review stock before international dispatch. Start with one destination and one approved shipment version. “Europe” is too broad for a receiving address or label brief.
Choose where the work happens
Scroll horizontally to view all columns.
| Stage | Planning purpose | Confirm first |
|---|---|---|
| China origin prep | Receive supplier goods, review discrepancies, apply approved labels and pack the shipment. | Receiving reference, check scope, current artwork and release approval. |
| Destination staging | Hold or replenish stock through a separately agreed receiving facility. | Actual facility, accepted products, storage, local handling and onward delivery. |
| Destination rework | Assess stock already abroad before a correction or return decision. | Inventory condition, identification method, rework quote and approved next destination. |
Compare the complete route using your actual cartons and handling needs. Origin prep does not remove customs, tax or destination receiving responsibilities. Overseas facilities and local work are confirmed separately.
Build a brief for each market
United States
Provide your US marketplace shipment plan, final receiving address, product identifiers and box labels. Agree who coordinates import documentation and carrier delivery. Flag special products before any booking.
United Kingdom
Use the UK receiving plan and separately approved product artwork. Identify who supplies applicable product information, supporting documents and placement instructions. Confirm import and destination handling responsibilities for this route.
European Union
Name the receiving country and intended selling markets. Request the applicable languages, product information, responsible-party details and approved artwork from your compliance contact. Record which instructions apply to the item, its packaging and the transport carton.
These are briefing prompts, not a legal compliance checklist. Product eligibility and applicable documentation must be confirmed with the marketplace and the relevant specialists before release.
Keep four label roles separate
- Unit identification: matches the sellable product and variant to the approved identifier.
- Marketplace box identification: matches a physical carton to its shipment plan and contents.
- Carrier identification: routes the transport shipment to the confirmed recipient.
- Product information: follows the approved destination-specific artwork and placement brief.
Do not reuse one market’s artwork for another market without approval. Check that labels remain legible and do not obstruct each other after final packing. Use current Seller Central instructions for carton limits, required warnings and receiving rules; older forum checklists can be outdated.
Release only after the brief is complete
- Reconcile received stock against supplier, SKU and variant records.
- Resolve or separate damaged goods, shortages and uncertain product identities.
- Approve label versions and an agreed packing sample.
- Update carton contents, dimensions in cm and gross weights in kg after any repacking.
- Confirm the destination, shipping documents, collection instructions and release approver.
Plan China-origin FBA prep Check SKU and barcode controls
US prep planning after the 2026 service change
Amazon discontinued its US FBA prep and item-labeling service from January 1, 2026. Sellers can prepare inventory themselves or use a provider; hiring a prep center is not the only option. Decide who completes the work before inventory enters US FBA, including inventory routed through another Amazon logistics service.
Keep this US change separate from UK and EU shipment planning. Check the current service options and instructions for each store rather than assuming a US announcement applies to every destination.
Amazon’s clarification of US preparation options and FBA Prep Service help page (seller login may be required). Reviewed October 6, 2026.
Prepare for shipment revisions after packing starts.
Seller discussions behind this guide
These public WeAreSellers questions informed the planning topics. They describe individual seller experiences, not our customer projects or current marketplace rules. Some replies may require login. This guide is original editorial guidance; service scope is confirmed in your quote.
Editorial review: 2026-10-05.
